St. Joseph Healthcare Adopts New Cardiac Care Management Model

Bangor, Maine - St. Joseph Healthcare is implementing a new Cardiac Care Management Program to offer a comprehensive health management program for individuals with cardiac conditions. The Cardiac Care Management Program is a progressive model in line with the new era of health care delivery.

The Bangor Beacon community grant has provided a successful foundation and model for care management of individuals struggling with heart conditions as well as COPD, asthma and diabetes. At St. Joseph Healthcare this program is led by Jessica Taylor as the Lead RN Care Manager. Taylor has had incredible success at improving the lives of participating patients through personal one-to-one coaching and medical guidance. Patients actively participating in a care management program, both locally and nationally, show reduced hospital stays, reduced emergency department visits and improved overall health status. Based on these very successful results, St. Joseph Healthcare is adjusting the current Cardiac Rehabilitation programs to a Cardiac Care Management Program.

The Cardiac Care Management Program involves the continuum of care including the participation of the patient’s primary care provider and/or cardiologist. Patients will be assigned a Care Manager who will work with them on an individual basis, reviewing their particular healthcare needs and goals. The Care Manager will work with cardiac patients, creating a unique and ongoing program of education, guidance, lifestyle changes, exercise programs and more as appropriate for each patient. The Care Manager will utilize communication tools that the patient finds most helpful; these could be home visits, office visits, email, phone calls or a combination of these methods.

Currently, St. Joseph Healthcare offers traditional Cardiac Phase II and Phase III programs. Individuals currently enrolled in the Cardiac Phase II program will have the opportunity to complete their 12-week program. Individuals currently enrolled in the Cardiac Phase III program will continue at St. Joseph Healthcare during a transitional period in which the organization will assist them as they move to a community-based Phase III program.  Individuals enrolled in both the Phase II and Phase III programs are invited and encouraged to enroll in the Cardiac Care Management Program.

St. Joseph Healthcare is excited to approach cardiac services from this new and progressive model and feel confident that participating individuals will have a greater opportunity to improve their health and lifestyle.